Archive for the year 2009

ML Forums: Vendy VIP, TGI Ripoff, Breakfast

Schnitzel Burger?!?: If my raving about how good the Schnitzel & Things Truck wasn't enough to get you to go, maybe this will excite you: "Breaking news from the schnitzel lab!!! We have just experimented and came up with a winner!! Look out for the schnitzel burger comin soon!!"

Don’t Miss Miss Softee’s Final Week Extravaganza

Queens Frostine

It’s Miss Softee’s last week parking in Midtown for the summer (and possibly forever if she finds something she likes doing more), and to celebrate she’s having a “special extravaganza” all week long.  Basically, every day this week she’ll be featuring almost every amazing special she’s ever served- all at the same time!  Stop by at some point before the end of the week to have your favorite for the last time.  Plus, on Friday there will be a special going away party from 4-8pm at a location TBD.  Follow her twitter (or the ML Twitter Tracker) for all of the up to minute updates.

Related:
PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Chrissy” (aka Miss Softee)
Meet Queen Frostine: The Ladies of Mister Softee

When You Guys Complain, People Listen

Remember that blogging thing at Whole Foods I’m doing next Thursday? Well the people at Whole Foods saw some of your comments about price, and said they’d be happy to knock off $10 off the ticket for any Midtown Lunchers who wanted to come. Just use the code MIDTOWNFAN when purchasing your ticket here for the discount. Already bought your ticket? Email them (nehou.culinary.center@wholefoods.com) and they’ll credit you the $10 give you 20% off the cost of another class. ($15 for 2 hours of my exciting insight into the world of blogging.  What could be better?  Come to think of it… don’t answer that.)

Day 2 at the BA Pop Up Cafe is a Madhouse

Photo courtesy of @twanderingeater via Twitter

Reports are pouring in that Bon Appetit’s Pop Up Cafe (on 57th and 6th) is a madhouse today.  From Lunch’er Korovka in the comments:

“Got there at 12:05pm and there was a line of about 10 ppl. then they didn’t let anyone in for 20+ minutes, so the line stretched halfway down the block. not sure what the hold up was…”

Things weren’t much better at 1:40 when Tina (aka the Wandering Eater) twittered the photo above.

The lines might have been due to reports of credit card machines being down, which apparently lead some to dine and dash…

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PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Doc”

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week we’re proud to welcome a really special guest to the site… it’s Street Food Week on Gourmet.com, and every day they’re posting recommendations from different cities. Yesterday was New York City and Philly, today is Portland and Seattle, and LA, SF, Zurich, SE Asia, Miami, and New Orleans will round out the week. To commemorate the occasion Gourmet’s Executive Editor John “Doc” Willoughby kindly agreed to tell us where he likes to lunch- including his favorite street cart.

Name: Doc

Age: 61

Occupation: Editor, Writer, Dog owner

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Conde Nast

Favorite Kind of Food: As long as it’s got some powerful flavors going on, it’s okay with me.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Sea slugs and other murky creatures of the deep

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: If I’m putting on the dog for a writer, whatever Dave says is best that day at Esca; if it’s just me and friends, samsa and bakhsh at Taam Tov (47th between 5th and 6th) or kurobuta tonkatsu at Katsu-Hama (the location on 47th between 5th and Madison).

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News Flash: New Street Vendors Are Finding It Difficult to Make Money

The New York Daily News is the latest media outlet to write about street vending as a legitimate money making opportunity, in an article in their money section yesterday.  They’re following in the footsteps of countless other publications who have written trend pieces about the explosion in street vending here in New York City (including the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times.)  It’s refreshing to see the Daily News mention some things that the mainstream media usually ignores (like how much of an impact the weather has on business, and how important private events are to these new crop of trucks) but they still left out an important warning to entrepreneurs looking to get into this business: for all the hype that most of these vendors have generated, none of them are making real money.

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You Decide: Is Picnic on 57th More Than Just a Generic Midtown Deli?

Picnic on 57th

Got this email from Lunch’er Nicholas last week:

A while back you made a very brief mention of just a out of bounds “Picnic on 57th” (57th just east of Lexington). Well it opened on Monday and I tried it out today. The place looked like a generic Deli walking in but i was hungry and running out of time on my lunch hour so i settled on their “Boneless Wild Berry BBQ Rib Hero” (that’s how it was written on their chalk board…no description otherwise….yes it was a gamble). Well… imagine my face as the sandwich guy (who had clearly never made the sandwich before) began assembling the baguette with (mostly) boneless BBQ riblets (shortrib i think), then roasted corn, grilled onions and finally french fries. He even had to incredulously ask the other sandwich guy if it really meant french fries! It was $8.50 before tax. I’ve attached a cell-phone photo for you…

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What Else to Order at the BA Pop Up Cafe: Serious Eats: New York was also at the opening of the Bon Appetit Pop Up Cafe yesterday and had great things to say about Nate Appleman's tuna and bread salad and the Jose Andres JLT. (Although according to Blondie and Brownie they were out of the salad by 1pm.) Chef Andres will be there today doing a demo and providing the daily special: "Albondigas Con Melocotones (Meatballs with Peaches)"  Could be good.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Attempts Midtown Again… With Sad But Predictable Results

van-leeuwen

Remember when the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck came to Midtown for one day last October? That didn’t last long. It took them almost a year to try again… but the result ended up being the same. I guess the Mister Softee trucks haven’t completely left for the season yet. *Sigh*  Just another day in Midtown…

Related:
Rule #1 of Vendor Fight Club is You Don’t Talk About Vendor Fight Club